Sunday 4th February 2024
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Masses & Liturgies for the Coming Week…
Friday 2nd February
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Mass, The Presentation of the Lord (Feast)
Forty days after Christmas, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, an event that the evangelist Luke recounts in Chapter 2 of his Gospel. By the year 450, it was called The Feast of the Meeting of the Lord because Jesus enters the Temple and "meets" the priests, as well as Simeon and Anna, representatives of the people of God. Around the middle of the 5th century, we know the feast was also celebrated in Rome. At a certain point, the blessing of candles was added to this feast to recall that Jesus is the "light to the gentiles". Thus, this feast is also sometimes referred to as Candlemas.
If you would like any candles blessed then bring them to this Mass (see below for details)
Saturday 3rd February
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Sacrament of Confession
10am Mass, Saint Blaise, Bishop & Martyr (Memoria) (celebrated in the Lady Chapel)
St. Blaise was a bishop in Sebaste and martyred in the fourth century. Devotion to him spread throughout the church during the Middle Ages. He is invoked for disorders of the throat.
There will be the traditional blessing of throats at this Mass (see below for details)
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass of the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Sunday 4th February
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Tuesday 6th February
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Mass, Saints Paul Miki & Compnaions (Memoria)
St. Paul Miki & Companions were Japanese martyrs. Towards the end of the 16th century there began a persecution of the Church in Japan; among those arrested were Paul Miki, a young Jesuit, and 25 others, some mas young as 13; they were taken to Nagasaki where they were crucified in 1597.
Wednesday 7th February
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Votive Mass of Saint Joseph
'Go to Joseph! Have recourse with special confidence to St. Joseph, for his protection is most powerful, as he is patron of the universal Church.' - Blessed Pope Pius IX
10:30am – 10:40am Devotions to Saint Joseph
(At the foot of the parish statue of St. Joseph, see below for more details)
7pm – 8pm Parish Bible Study Group (see below for details)
Thursday 8th February
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Mass (Feria)
Friday 9th February
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Mass (Feria)
Saturday 10th February
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Sacrament of Confession
10am Mass, Saint Scholastica (Memoria) (celebrated in the Lady Chapel)
St. Scholastica, the sister of St. Benedict, was born in Umbria 480. Like her brother she devoted her life to God, founding the Benedictine Sisters and dying on Monte Cassino in 547.
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass of the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Sunday 11th February
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
2pm Healing Service (see below for details below)
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (3rd February - 10th February), the Sanctuary Lamp is for Gerald & June McCaffrey.
Last Week's Offertory Collection
£785.60. Thank you for your kind generosity.
Caritas Collection
Last weekend the Caritas Salford collection raised £210.17.
The Presentation of the Lord
On Friday (2nd Feb), the Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Lord which occurs forty days after the birth of Jesus and is also known as Candlemas Day, since the blessing and procession of candles is included in the liturgy. The light from the candle reminds us of Christ who is our light. He is our light in the dark times, the frustrating times, the desolate times and the anxious times. He is the light that shows us the right way to live, love and pray. He is the light that gives hope to our friends and family. He is the light that gives warmth when we feel low and our hearts have grown cold. If you use candles at home in prayer or devotion then please bring them to the Mass of the Presentation of the Lord on Friday evening at 6pm and I'll bless them for you. You may want to buy some candles for friends and family, have them blessed at this Mass, and then send them out to let loved ones know your praying for them.
St. Blaise & The Blessing of Throats
On Saturday at the end of the 10am Mass there will be the traditional blessing of throats invoking the intercession of St. Blaise. Two unlit candles, tied together by a red ribbon, are held by the priest towards a persons throat as he prays the following:
'Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.'
These traditional practices are not customs from a bygone age, but true reminders of the reality of the powerful intercession of the saints, like St. Blaise.
Devotions to Saint Joseph
On Wednesday 7th February there will be the first Wednesday devotions to St. Joseph after the 10am Mass (at the foot of his statue at the back of church). The devotions will include praying the Litany of St. Joseph, the Memorare of St. Joseph and the Prayer of the Holy Cloak Novena. In these devotions our prayer is to ask St. Joseph to pray for our parish family and for those who have wandered away from the Church, that they may return and find a warm welcome.
Lent 2024
This year Lent begins on Ash Wednesday 14th February. There will be a 10am Mass with the distribution of Ashes and a 6pm Mass with the distribution of Ashes.
St. Mary's Warm Welcome
The next warm welcome is on Tuesday 13th February from 1pm – 3pm. Everyone and anyone is welcome! We have some talented parishioners who dispel the winter blues with live upbeat music that everyone can sing along to. Plus there's unlimited brews and fantastic homemade cake in a warm space. Why not come along and experience something different.
Parish Bible Study – St. John's Gospel
The next session is Wednesday 7th February from 7pm – 8pm. All are welcome. All you need is a Bible and an openness to come to know Our Lord better. We'll be looking at chapter 5.
Sacred Heart School
On Friday I was invited by Miss Dawes Class (Year 3) to talk to the children about the Sacrament of Confession. It's that wonderful sacrament Jesus gave us, to heal us from sin and give us another chance to be better disciples.
St. Mary's School
On Wednesday Miss Roberts class came to church to look at the different kinds of books we use. They looked at the Missal Fr. Brereton, our first parish priest used in 1897 to celebrate Mass and the Missal I currently use to celebrate Mass, over a hundred years later. The children saw the liturgical books we use for weddings and funerals and the breviary that I pray the Divine Office with everyday.
St. Oswald's School
On Wednesday the older children joined us for the parish 10am Mass. We gave thanks to God for the life of St. John Bosco, who through his juggling and acrobatic talents, caught the attention of many young people in Turin and was able to hand on the Good News. Let's pray for all those who unashamedly and faithfully pass on the Faith in Jesus Christ to all our young people.
Date for you Diary - 11th February 2024 - World Day of Prayer for the Sick: St. Mary's Healing Service
At 2pm on Sunday 11th February, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. It's only fitting that this is also the day the Church invites us all to pray for those who are sick and suffering in mind and body. For those who have made the pilgrimage to Lourdes, you will know, that it is a place of healing but not everyone is fortunate to visit. This year, at St. Mary's on Sunday 11th February, there will be the many opportunity to experience both prayer and healing.
Salford Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage Centenary Year Fundraiser - The Mercy Brothers
Join us for a family-friendly night of musical entertainment with the fabulous 'Mercy Brothers' band on Friday 9th February, 8pm (doors 7.30pm), at The Hough End Centre, Mauldeth Road West, Chortlon-cum-Hardy, Manchester, M21 7SX. The band is made up of members of the clergy from around the diocese. Tickets are priced at £15 (over 16s) and free for under 16s. Money raised will go to the Centenary Pilgrimage Fund and in support of our sick pilgrims and medical team. To book please visit www.salfordlourdes.co.uk/fundraising or phone the pilgrimage office on 0161 817 2209.
Job Vacancies
Cleaner - Holy Family, Denton
Appointment Type: Part-time, permanent
Working hours: 4 hours per week to be worked on a flexible basis as agreed by the parish priest
Location: Holy Family Presbytery, 67 Thornley Lane North, Reddish, Stockport SK5 6QR
Salary: £12 per hour
Find out more and apply at https://www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies/
Chef Cathedral House (replacement role)
Appointment Type: Part-time, permanent
Working hours: 12 hours over three days per week, Friday - Sunday
Location: Cathedral House, 250 Chapel Street, Salford, M3 5LE
Salary: £21,840 - £24,343
Find out more and apply at https://www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies/
God Bless and keep praying.
Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Fr. O'Brien